The JUNO Awards have always been a platform to honour the best in Canadian music and time and time again, Indigenous artists have delivered some of the most powerful and unforgettable moments. Through song, language, and storytelling, they’ve brought their cultures to centre stage showcasing the depth, diversity, and talent of Indigenous voices in Canadian music.
Classically trained tenor and composer Jeremy Dutcher delivered a poignant performance of “Sakomawit” from his JUNO and Polaris Prize winning album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. Blending classical music with Wolastoqiyik song traditions, Dutcher performed beneath black-and-white portraits of his Wolastoq ancestors, a visual homage to lineage and cultural remembrance.
This electrifying collaboration lit up the stage with dancers in traditional regalia, hard-hitting visuals, and powerful lyrics addressing identity, protest, and resilience. DJ Shub’s bass-driven production met the fiery delivery of Snotty Nose Rez Kids, creating a performance that was both high-energy and politically charged.
At The 2017 JUNOS in Ottawa, A Tribe Called Red, now known as The Halluci Nation, took the stage with throat singer Tanya Tagaq and the Black Bear Singers. Their collaboration showcased the power of Indigenous futurism and tradition in one performance, mixing their signature powwow step with electronic beats, and traditional vocals in a striking visual and sonic display.
At the 2023 JUNO Awards, Aysanabee delivered a powerful performance of “We Were Here” alongside powwow group Northern Cree. Opening with Aysanabee’s grandfather’s residential school testimony and wearing a jacket adorned with 122 painted feathers symbolizing unmarked graves, Aysanabee delivered a beautiful tribute to generational trauma, survival, and remembrance.
In a collaborative medley that brought together three unique Indigenous performers, Jeremy Dutcher, Elisapie, and Morgan Toney delivered a set that included “Honor Song”, “Skicinuwihkuk” and “Uummati Attanarsimat.” Dutcher and Elisapie performed in their respective Indigenous languages, Wolastoqey and Inuktitut, while Toney contributed with spirited fiddle playing rooted in Mi’kmaq and Celtic traditions.
Joined by Tia Wood, Snotty Nose Rez Kids delivered a high-energy performance blending tracks from their JUNO-winning album Red Future, their collaboration “Shapeshifter,” and Wood’s hit “Dirt Roads.” Incorporating visual elements that honoured Indigenous women and calling attention to environmental injustice, the set was both a celebration of identity and a message of resilience and resistance.
Featured photo: Tia Wood performing at The JUNO Awards Broadcast – March 30, 2025 – Photo Credit: CARAS/Ryan Bolton Photograph
